Giants Causeway

I have this lingering guilt that I should be working on my dissertation but I really have NO motivation to do it. I've been putting off my blog updates telling myself I can't blog until I get some serious work done. I gave in. I'd rather blog-write than school-write any day. 

This post is of the Giants Causeway. This place was awesome and the very reason why we decided to go to Northern Ireland. It was even an added bonus that the sun was shinning!

The formation of Giants Causeway has a legend behind it. Tuck in and I'll tell you all about it.

One day, an Irish giant named Finn McCool, was going about his daily business when a Scottish giant named Fingal began shouting insults to Finn from across the channel. Finn became so angry he started throwing stones at Fingal. Fingal retaliated and shouted to Finn that he was lucky he wasn't a strong swimmer and would come over and tear him to pieces. 

This just made Finn more angry and continued to throw stones and clumps of earth from the shore. Eventually the clumps made a pathway for the Scottish giant to come over and face him. But by the time Fingal made it over Finn hadn't slept for a week and was so tired. He decided to fool Fingal and disguised himself as a baby in a cot. When Fingal made it to Ireland Finn's wife told the giant that Finn was away but showed him her son sleeping in the cradle. The Scottish giant became so scared and thought to himself if the son was this huge imagine the size his father would be!

In Fingal's quick haste to escape he sped back along the causeway, tearing up the stone path as he fled. He was in such a hurry he left his boot as he went.

I caught myself a little leprechaun! 

After taking this photo I did a 'vanity check' and just laughed at how tiny Eric was in comparison to me. He's standing on a rock that was only about six inches high but combined with our wide angle lens it made for a funny photo. He's just missing the green suspenders and a pipe!

This is what they call the Organ.

The Causeway was discovered in 1693 but in the 21st century many suspected that the stones were chiseled by men.

But in 1771 it was confirmed that the stone formations were the result of volcanic action.

The rapidly cooling lava contracted at different variations which created the columnar formation.

We thought if this was in the U.S. people wouldn't even be allowed out to the edge for fear of being sued. It was pretty cool that anyone could walk right out to the edge. 

It was pretty slippery though so not many people made their way to the edge. 

But Eric's a brave lad.

I just tag along so I don't look like a complete wimp. 

After our Causeway experience we went to the local pub for some Irish stew, delicious strawberry pavlova and the best Irish folk music I have heard. This guy was fabulous!